Steering column construction



May 19, 1931. H. MARLES 1,896,172

STEERING COLUMN CONSTRUCTION Filed May 7, 1928 Patented May 19, 1931 UNITED STATES PATENT oiFicE Y HENRY MARLES, OF DETROIT, MICHIGAN, .ASSIG'NORv TO (S1-111CLVIIVIIEJRv MANITFACTURING COMPANY, F DETROIT, MICHIGAN, A. CORPORATION CF MICHIGAN STEERING COLUMN CONSTRUCTION Appiication ined May 7, 1928. seriai No. 275,949.

This invention relates generally to steering column constructions of motor vehicles and refers particularly to the means for securing the control rods or tubes of such constructions -to their operating members or actuators.A

The primary object of the invention is to provide means whereby the actuator may be easily and quickly disconnected from its control rod without removing the rod from its operative position in the steering column.

With the above and other objects in view the invention consists in certain novel features of construction, combinations and arrangements of parts as will be more fully described and particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a section through a control rod and its operating member in assembled po'- sition;

Figure 2 is a bottom plan View thereof;

Figure 3 is a perspective view of the parts disassembled Figure t is a section on line 1 4 of Figure l.

gether with ones of a similar nature form the controlling mechanism contained in the usual steering column construction of a motor vehicle, the control rod being one of a plurality of telescoping rods. For the purposes of the present invention, however, only one control unit is disclosed herein.

The operating memberis of dished formation having an annular wall 12 to which a hand lever 13 is integrally secured. The base 14 of the member is provided with a central opening 15, the walls of which are tapered to form a conical seat upon which the tapered portion 16 of a split sleeve 17 is adapted to rest. This sleeve is also provided with a threaded portion 18 which is adapted to project up intothe member past the opening 15.

With the sleeve in position in the opening, it is adapted to surround the upper end of the control rod, this rod being provided rotated, it tends to draw the sleeve further into the opening 15. Because ofthe tapered formation of the opening and sleeve, the latter isV compressed until it securely clamps the end of the control rod thereto, and to the operating member, the spline 19 preventing any rotation of one element relative to the other.

It will thus be apparent that with the above construction, if for anyreasonit is necessary to disconnect an operating member from its control rod, it will only be necessary to gain access to the operating member` in question, unscrew the nut 2O and lift the member off the end of the control rod. The operating member or a new one may just as easily be secured to the control rod in the manner above described. K

While it is believed that from the foregoing description, the nature and advantages of the invention will be readily apparent, I desire to have it understood that I do not limit i --i i myself to what is herein shown and described and that such changes may be resorted to when desired as fall within the scope of what is claimed.

l/Vhat I claim as my invention is:

1. In combination, a control rod having a struck out portion adjacent one end forming a spline, an operating member for said con-V trol rod having an opening provided. with tapered walls forming a conical seat, a split sleeve surrounding said control rod with the spline of said rod positioned in the slot formed by the opposite longitudinal edges of said sleeve, said sleeve being provided with a tapered portion engaging said conical seat and a threaded portion projecting through said opening, and a nut engageable with the threaded portion of said sleeve and adapted to draw the same longitudinally of said opening for clamping the sleeve to said control rod and for locking the operating member to said sleeve.

2. The combination of a movable member having a struckout portion adjacent one end thereof, an actuator for said member and means for detaehably seouringsaid actuator to said member including a split sleeve surrounding said member and engageable in 5 an opening in said actuator, said sleeve havlng its longitudinal edges engageable with the struckout portion of said movable member, and means engageable with said sleeve for clamping the latter to said rotatable 10 member and for locking the sleeve -to said Y actuator.

3. In combination, a Control rod having a longitudinally extending outwardly projecting portion forming a spline, an operat- 15 ing member for said control rod having an opening provided with tapered walls forming a Vconical seat, a split sleeve surrounding said control rodv with the spline ,of said rod positioned in the slot formed by the gg opposite longitudinal edges of said sleeve, said sleeve being provided with a 'tapered portion engaging said conical seat and another portion projecting through said opening, and means engaging said last mentioned Q portion for drawing the sleeve longitudinally of the opening to clamp 'the sleeve to the control rod and to lock the operating memberto the sleeve.

In testimony whereoic I atiix my signature.

HENRY MARLES. 

